Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 405 AM EDT Fri Mar 27 2020 Valid 12Z Fri Mar 27 2020 - 12Z Sun Mar 29 2020 ...Heavy rainfall and strong to severe thunderstorm threat expected to increase from the southern to central Plains northeastward through the Ohio Valley... ...Temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees above average across large sections of the South... ...Fire weather threat remains at critical levels through Saturday across the southern/central High Plains and southern Rockies... A rapidly intensifying low pressure system is forecast to bring unsettled weather from across the central portion of the country to the Great Lakes and the Northeast as we head into the weekend. Another deep upper-level trough is currently spreading mountain snow showers and lower-elevation rain across the southwestern U.S. early this morning. As the upper-level trough moves eastward today, a low pressure system is forecast to intensify over the central High Plains. This will lead to a higher chance of snow to move into the central Rockies later today while rain and thunderstorms expand eastward through the central Plains and the Ohio Valley toward the Mid-Atlantic. As the storm intensifies further tonight, a period of heavy snow together with strong gusty winds could impact the central High Plains into the central Rockies early on Saturday before the low pressure system gradually moves away toward the upper Midwest Saturday night. An extended area of rain is expected to be focused along and to the north of a stationary front well to the east of the low pressure center. Heavy rain will likely lead to flooding concerns across the Ohio Valley through tonight. As the storm intensifies and heads toward the upper Midwest, a wind-driven cold rain is expected to spread across the central Plains on Saturday. Some of the rain could change over to wet snow Saturday night across the upper Midwest before ending. South of the intensifying storm, showers and thunderstorms ahead of a strong cold front are expected to move quickly across the southern Plains through Saturday, reaching the Mississippi Valley on Sunday. Elsewhere, there will be a new upper-level trough impacting the Pacific Northwest going into the weekend which will bring some locally heavy rain for the coastal ranges and snowfall for the Cascades. In fact, portions of the Washington and Oregon Cascades may see as much as 1 to 2 feet of new snowfall going through Saturday. Meanwhile, fire weather threat remains at critical levels through Saturday across the southern to central High Plains and southern Rockies as locally strong winds, very warm temperatures, and low relative humidities are expected across these areas in the wake of the intensifying storm. In fact, temperatures across the southern U.S. to the Mid-Atlantic will see well above average temperatures, with readings 15 to 25 degrees above normal. Many of these areas can expect high temperatures in the 80s to near 90 degrees ahead of the approaching cold front. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php